The present invention relates generally to finger ring adjuncts and pertains, more specifically, to a fitting aid capable of attachment to a finger ring for enabling selective enlargement of the opening of the ring to facilitate placement on a wearer""s finger and subsequent constriction of the opening to fit the ring to the wearer""s true ring size.
Finger rings have been used for adornment since well before recorded history and generally have been made available in different sizes for fitting to a particular wearer""s finger. A long-recognized problem continues to plague wearers who first must pass a finger ring over a relatively large diameter knuckle portion of the wearer""s finger to place the ring at a smaller diameter ring-bearing portion of the finger. Thus, a ring sized to fit the ring-bearing portion of a wearer""s finger is difficult, if not impossible, to pass over the larger diameter knuckle portion of the finger. A ring sized to ease passage over the knuckle portion will not seat properly on the ring-bearing portion of the wearer""s finger and, consequently, will not be maintained in a circumferential orientation for appropriate display of the ring. Moreover, the larger size is more prone to inadvertent removal and loss. While several proposals have been offered in an effort to solve the above problem, these proposals usually require extensive modification of the structure of the finger ring, with concomitant structural complexity and added expense. In addition, these proposals usually require special tools for placement and removal of a ring. Moreover, such modifications detract from the aesthetic appearance of the ring.
The present invention provides a relatively simple, aesthetically pleasing finger ring fitting aid which accomplishes an appropriate fit on a particular wearer""s finger while facilitating selective passage of the ring over the knuckle portion of the finger. As such, the present invention attains several objects and advantages, some of which are summarized as follows: Facilitates the placement of a finger ring upon a wearer""s finger, and subsequent removal of the finger ring, while enabling an appropriate fit at the ring-bearing portion of the finger; accomplishes a comfortable and effective seating of a finger ring on a ring-bearing portion of a wearer""s finger without interfering with the ability to place the ring on the finger or selectively remove the ring from the finger; facilitates the attainment and retention of an appropriate circumferential orientation of a properly fitted ring on a wearer""s finger; avoids the use of complex or obtrusive modifications to the structure of a conventional ring to enable ease of placement and removal while attaining an appropriate fit; provides an arrangement readily adapted to finger rings of different sizes and thicknesses; enables a simple installation without requiring special skills or equipment to modify a conventional finger ring; offers an aesthetically pleasing appearance in an effective functional arrangement; enables ease of operation, without the necessity for auxiliary tools; provides for the positive retention of a first selected configuration for placement or removal of a finger ring, or an alternate selected configuration for an appropriate fitted size; allows ready adjustment to assure a comfortable and effective fit, without affecting the ability to function as an aid to facilitate placement or removal of a finger ring; provides a rugged construction capable of effective performance over a long service life.
The above objects and advantages, as well as further objects and advantages, are attained by the present invention which may be described briefly as a finger ring fitting aid for attachment to a finger ring having a shank and an opening for the reception of a wearer""s finger, the finger ring fitting aid enabling selective unrestricted access to the opening for placement of the ring on the finger and subsequent constriction of the opening to facilitate appropriate fitting of the ring to the finger, the finger ring fitting aid comprising: a sizing member having at least one arcuate arm for location within the opening of the ring to constrict the opening to a fitted size; a mount for attachment to the shank of the ring; a coupler coupling the sizing member with the mount for movement of the arcuate arm between a first position outside the opening, enabling unrestricted access to the opening for reception of the finger within the opening, and a second position inside the opening, wherein the arcuate arm constricts the opening to the fitted size; and a resilient biasing mechanism for selectively resiliently biasing the arcuate arm into either one of the first and second positions so as to facilitate placement of the ring on the finger when the arcuate arm is biased into the first position, and appropriate fitting of the ring to the finger when the arcuate arm is biased into the second position.